Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 118 I Believe in You
Leaving the calligraphy and painting shop, Chen Siyuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. To justify one lie, he had to tell countless lies!

I thought I was going to flee that day, but who could have known that a sudden turn of events would lead to my current identity? Who could have predicted that I would catch the eye of Prince Ping of Yan and have the opportunity to pass the Shuntian Prefecture Provincial Examination?

The past cannot be retrieved, but being able to solve the problem with money now is better than having no solution at all.

After careful calculation, he realized that he had been spending money like water these days, and now he only had a little over five thousand taels left. With the New Year approaching, the Xing family had to go out and about, and he, a distant relative living here, also had to send some New Year gifts to various places... Oh, another expense.

And according to his plan, he must become famous next year. How to become famous? He must go to those brothels and leave a reputation as a "lucky man." Only then can he naturally become a "talented scholar" - otherwise, how could he graduate from the Imperial College in just one year?
Well, this is another sum of money!
Chen Siyuan returned to the carriage, thinking about his future visit to King Ping of Yan. He had to make a fortune himself. Otherwise, even if he passed the provincial examination, he would be too poor to even afford the betrothal gifts.

On the way back, Chen Siyuan felt as if he had forgotten something, but he couldn't remember it for a moment. The next day, Chen Siyuan went out at the right time and went straight to find Tao Jiancheng.

When he arrived at the place, Chen Siyuan knocked on the door. The doorman said that Tao Jiancheng was at home today, and immediately led Chen Siyuan in.

This Supervisor was a seventh-rank official, seemingly insignificant, but within the Imperial College, he was only below the Chief Academician and the Vice Minister, effectively overseeing the affairs of the academy. While the Chief Academician and Vice Minister were considered clean officials, the Supervisor was not. Before arriving, Chen Siyuan had carefully researched the individual. He was a juren (a successful candidate), a graduate of the Imperial College, and after being selected as an official, he had worked for over a decade before becoming Supervisor.

For issuing certificates, the Imperial College received one tael and seven qian of silver for each one. With more than 800,000 certificates issued every year, the Imperial College earned 140,000 taels!
At that time, silver was measured in units other than the liang. For example, a 500 liang envelope would fit neatly in a bag, giving rise to the term "erbaiwu" (two hundred and five).

What does it mean? It’s a homophone. Erbaiwu means half closed, which is a homophone for half crazy.

In addition to the seal, there is another unit called a character. One character is worth 280 taels.

The chief academic officer of the Imperial College could earn a commission of ten taels of silver for each character he wrote. Assuming he wrote five hundred characters a year, the chief academic officer of the Imperial College could earn more than five thousand taels of silver in commission alone.

Ordinary officials would usually use the money they received to socialize with their superiors. But the Imperial College Jijiu was different. He was the head official of the Imperial College, and all the people below him paid him tributes, not the other way around.

Tsk tsk, so how could Li Wan’s father, Li Shouzhong, be poor?
The Siye, the deputy official, also received a share of the profits for each character. However, the situation became more complex at the level of Jiancheng, as they were administrative officials and not considered to be clean officials. If they met a conscientious superior, they would receive a share, but if they met an unscrupulous one, the situation would be even more uncertain.

As the saying goes, live by the mountain, eat by the mountain; live by the water, eat by the water. With a treasure trove in hand, Tao Jiancheng naturally started to think about how to make a living.

Three days ago, Tao Jiancheng received Jia She's name card. He did not dare to neglect it and sent a servant to deliver the card the next day, inviting him to meet today. Today, the man really showed up.

The servant led him inside. Tao Jiancheng took a quick look and saw that the man was no more than fourteen or fifteen years old, with a good appearance, especially a pair of very bright eyes.

Tao Jiancheng thought to himself that this man was most likely a playboy from some wealthy family.

I didn't dare to neglect him, so I stood up and invited him to sit down. After serving him tea, we started chatting.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Chen Siyuan recounted his past, admitting his limited knowledge. Suddenly, he glanced at the calligraphy and paintings in the hall and said, "Huh? So, Supervisor Tao also enjoys calligraphy and painting. What a coincidence! Yesterday, I stumbled upon a beautiful piece of calligraphy near Shuangta Temple and paid a whopping five hundred taels to commission it."

"Hmm...hmm?" Tao Jiancheng was stroking his beard, and he almost pulled out a strand of beard from his chin when he heard this!

The shopkeeper came by yesterday and said that a fool offered five hundred taels of silver to graduate from the Imperial College within a year.

Tao Jiancheng was happy for a long time, then turned around and told the shopkeeper to take the deal.

Of the five hundred taels of silver, at least two hundred taels were left in the hands of Tao Jiancheng. He wished there were a few more fools like him.

Who knew that the person in front of him was that silly... uh, distinguished guest!
Tao Jiancheng was in a dilemma. Normally, with Jia She's instructions, he should have taken care of it. If he scored first in each exam, he would get half a point each time, and he could graduate in two years. But this guy was impatient and insisted on graduating in one year.

He is not omnipotent in the Imperial College, and he has allowed an unknown person to top the list for several months in a row... This is hard to say.

Because it was Supervisor Tao, he frowned and said, "Well... Young Master Chen, you should examine it carefully before making a decision. When it comes to calligraphy and painting, although it depends on your eye, sometimes you can't be impatient."

Chen Siyuan said, "Minister Tao, you don't know, but I'm also very excited to see this opportunity. It's truly a rare one." He paused, then continued, "Well, I'm not very talented, but I do have some knowledge of calligraphy, painting, and poetry. Having just arrived in the capital and seen its prosperity, I can't help but be inspired. Who knows, soon I'll be able to pollute the Minister's ears with my playful works."

Tao Jiancheng understood, what it meant was that this person was conceited about his talent, so he dared to act like this?
Yin Shi said, "Oh? Then I'll wait and see. Since the Tang and Song dynasties, poetry has gradually become a minor art, and even in the Ming Dynasty, no one could be called a master. Since Master Chen is so confident, I think he must be an extraordinary writer."

"How dare I? I have only made a few achievements. I cannot be called an expert."

"Hahaha, Master Chen is too modest. Yes, General Jia mentioned this matter in his letter, but I didn't think of it at the time, haha——"

The two of them chatted happily for about two cups of tea before Chen Siyuan said goodbye and left.

The deal was done, but before enrolling in school, Chen Siyuan had to make a name for himself, otherwise, Tao Jiancheng would not dare to take on such a business.

Seeing that it was still early, Chen Siyuan went straight to the Huguo Temple and bought some tribute surplus, including oranges from Guangxi, honeydew melons from Shaanxi, fine cloth from Songjiang, and cotton silk from Suzhou. He loaded most of the car and then went to the Xing family.

It was past 3 p.m. when the carriage arrived at Jinjing Hutong outside Xuanwu Gate. The sun was setting outside and it was about to get dark.

Chen Siyuan went forward and knocked on the door. An old servant opened the door and looked in. When he saw that it was Chen Siyuan, he immediately smiled and said, "Uncle Yuan is here!" He immediately hurriedly passed the message inside, "Uncle Yuan is here!"

Chen Siyuan asked the servant to take the New Year gifts from the carriage, and in a moment, Xing Dequan came running over.

Glancing at the generous New Year gift from Chen Siyuan, Xing Dequan said happily, "Good nephew, you finally remember to honor your uncle!"

He immediately pulled Chen Siyuan and walked back. As they passed the ceremonial gate and walked along the winding corridor to the main house, Xing Dequan complained, "Third sister, get married soon, or we won't be able to live like this!"

Chen Siyuan asked with a smile, "Did Uncle provoke Third Aunt again?"

Xing Dequan curled his lips and said, "Me? I can't hide anymore. Tsk, forget it. I was going to look for you, but Third Sister stopped me, saying you should concentrate on studying. Tsk, that Imperial College is a place for trouble, don't you think I don't understand?"

When they entered the main room, Xing Dequan sat down casually. Chen Siyuan lifted his robe and sat down, then asked, "How are the discussions about Third Aunt's marriage going?"

Xing Dequan said, "It's pretty much settled. I consulted with the elders a few days ago. The betrothal gifts will be given in February, and the wedding will be in March. Well, now I can finally be free."

The man Xing Sanjie was considering marrying was Fang Lin, a clerk in the Censorate's Experience Division, a seventh-rank official. He was a student of the Imperial Academy, selected by the Ministry of Personnel to join the Experience Division. He was only twenty-six years old, and Xing Sanjie was a perfect match for him.

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "This is a good marriage. I think my aunt can breathe a sigh of relief." Xing Dequan curled his lips and said, "What's the big deal about a small official of the seventh rank? If you ask me, I'd rather be someone's second wife--"

Before he could finish, he heard someone outside cursing, "Bullshit!" As he was speaking, Third Sister Xing led her maidservant, whose face was frosted, into the room and started scolding Xing Dequan.

Not to mention Xing Dequan, even Chen Siyuan sat up straight, fearing he might upset Third Sister Xing. Chen Siyuan couldn't help but wonder who this cheap Third Aunt inherited her explosive temper from. Mrs. Xing, while she had her share of temper, had never been so abusive as to berate someone like her grandson.

After a round of scolding, Third Sister Xing finally sat down and turned to Chen Siyuan with a smile, saying, "Brother, just come if you want. Why bring all this stuff? Nanny Wang said that you will enter the Imperial College after the new year. After you graduate, you will be able to choose an official position. It's better to keep this money for future negotiations."

Xing Dequan said, "I already have a brother-in-law. Why would I need to make connections for a mere official selection?"

"You know shit!" Third Sister Xing squinted his eyes, and Xing Dequan was speechless.

Tsk tsk, there really is a culprit for every obstacle.

When Third Sister Xing looked over, Chen Siyuan bowed and said, "Third Aunt, you may not know that your nephew is planning to take the imperial examination."

Most of the graduates from the Imperial College who were selected as officials were of the eighth or ninth rank or even lower rank. Those of the seventh rank and above were at least Juren.

Seeing his calm expression, Third Sister Xing couldn't help but smile and said, "So that's what you're planning... That's good. You're both a top-notch person with excellent character and talent. If you really pass the provincial examination, I think the marriage with the Lin family will be finalized."

Upon hearing this, Xing Dequan dropped his teacup and said with wide eyes, "Yes, Nanny Wang did say that the Lin family's dowry is a mountain of gold and silver. Tsk tsk, good luck, Brother Yuan!"

"Oh, it's too early to tell now. Let's wait and see."

Daiyu's words were so powerful in Rongxi Hall that day, but even if she passed the provincial examination, would the marriage be finalized? Chen Siyuan had pondered this over and over again in the past few days, thinking to himself: I'm afraid there will be more twists and turns.

Regardless of Daiyu's thoughts, consider the matter from the Jia family's perspective. Building the villa for the imperial visit will certainly involve misappropriation of the Lin family's property. There will be another imperial visit later, and what's even more serious is that if the Construction Department finds out there are deficits, will the Jia family compensate them?
Even if the Lin family's wealth is greater, it is probably not enough to fill the holes in the Jia family's finances! By then, the Jia family will not be able to deny it directly for the sake of the hundreds of thousands of silver coins, but they have many other means!
On the worst-case scenario, was she deliberately trying to kill Daiyu? With Lady Jia around, even if Lady Wang didn't succeed, wouldn't she end up hurting herself?

Chen Siyuan has been in the underworld for several years. What kind of dangerous things has he not seen?

There is nothing new under the sun. If we come together for profit, we will surely separate for profit in the future.

Now that it has not been finalized, everything said is false. The only way to succeed is to strengthen myself, whether it is fame, connections, or reputation, until I become so strong that the Jia family dares not touch me and Daiyu.

As for Jia Yucun... he was transferred to Zhejiang as the governor and would be leaving for the new year. He was thousands of miles away, so how could he take care of Daiyu and himself?
Third Sister Xing also knew that the Shuntian Prefecture provincial examination was not easy to pass, so she assumed Chen Siyuan had no intention of succeeding. She comforted him, "Brother, just study hard. Even if it's not for marriage, then think of it as your own. Persevere for a while, and if you achieve success in the future, I will be able to rest in peace in my grave."

Chen Siyuan agreed with a smile.

After lingering for a while, Xing Sanjie decided that Chen Siyuan was indeed her nephew and offered to keep him for dinner. Chen Siyuan said he had just eaten and left the Xing family's house.

Xing Dequan chased out with a sly look in his eyes and said, "Wait, brother. I'll take you out for some fun in the first month of the year."

Chen Siyuan wanted to spread his fame, so he smiled and said, "Okay, then the nephew will wait for his uncle."

Xing Dequan was immediately very proud and chattered on about many places to go before letting Chen Si go.

Chen Siyuan watched Xing Dequan enter the house, turned around and did not get on the carriage, but went straight to the You family across the alley.

It was already dark, and Chen Siyuan vaguely caught a glimpse of someone watching through the crack in the door. When he got closer, the door suddenly closed.

Chen Siyuan chuckled to himself and knocked on the door. A female voice answered, "Who is it?"

"I am Chen Siyuan, a junior, passing by here, and have come to visit You Sanlang."

There was a moment of silence inside, and then the female voice said, "What is You Sanlang? There is no such person. You've got the wrong person!"

Chen Siyuan pondered, this attitude... Could it be that he had learned about his engagement with Daiyu? That was probably the case!

So he said, "Did you find the wrong one? If so, then Wansheng will come again another day. What a pity, I was thinking of inviting Sanlang to visit Shichahai tomorrow."

After saying that, Chen Siyuan turned around and walked away. He had just taken a few steps when the door behind him creaked open and a familiar voice said, "You...you...why are you still looking for me?"

Chen Siyuan stopped and turned around, and saw Third Sister You standing in front of the door with a frosted face.

He then walked back, and when he came closer, he smiled and said, "Is it Third Sister today?"

Third Sister You spat, "Don't call me so affectionately. Who are you? And who am I?"

Chen Siyuan pretended to think about it, then suddenly realized, "So it's about that matter... Third sister probably doesn't know that even if the marriage certificate is signed, it will only be a ceremony for the succession of the two generations."

Third Sister You blinked, and her watery eyes suddenly widened: "Jianjiu?"

"Yes. The Lin family's eldest branch has no successor. For the sake of the family line, shouldn't we adopt a dual lineage?"

Third Sister You was stunned. She knew about the concurrent wife. Although the concurrent wife was also considered the principal wife, her husband could still marry another principal wife!

Yu Sanjie had been depressed for quite some time since she learned about the engagement. She had forced herself not to seek an explanation from Chen Siyuan, but now, after hearing what he said, she felt that all the grievances she had endured were in vain!

My heart felt refreshed as if I had drunk a glass of sweet rain in the hottest days of summer!
She still refused to believe it and asked, "You, are you telling the truth?"

Chen Siyuan solemnly swore, "It's absolutely true. If I'm lying, I'll be struck by lightning the moment I turn around..."

Third Sister You stepped forward and covered her mouth with her hand, saying angrily, "What kind of oath are you making? I believe you."

(End of this chapter)